By Justina Auta The International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP) in Nigeria has supported the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) with a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) tool to combat the smuggling of migrants in the country. The Comptroller-General (CG), NIS, Muhammed Babandede, while unveiling the tool and inaugurating members of the committee on Thursday in Abuja, said it would contribute to global security and fight transnational crime. “The NIS is committed to implementing the SOP tool to combat the smuggling of migrants so, that we can contribute to global security and also fight transnational crime. “Many are…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
A Professor of Water resources and Environmental Engineering with the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA, Mr Josiah Babatola has warned that the rate of unplanned and arbitrary urbanization in the country is causing a lot of damage to forests and other natural resources. He made the observation while delivering the 126th inaugural lecture of FUTA with the title, “Water, Man and Environment: The Three inseparable partners” on Tuesday May 4, 2021. According to Babatola, if more proactive measures were not put in place to control unbridled urbanization, the environment will continue to degenerate with disastrous consequences for its inhabitants.…
The Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN) has frowned at the directive issued by Senate for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to return confiscated smuggled foreign rice seized from various shops in Ibadan and others parts of the country. The Director-General of the Association, Dr Andy Ekwelem who spoke to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday, noted that the ugly development was a gradual reversal of the gains made so far in combating the scourge of rice smuggling into the country of which the federal government has committed so much resources. The development is sequel to the directive given by the…
The birthrate in the United States fell four per cent last year, marking the biggest annual decrease in decades, suggesting “the Coronavirus pandemic has taken the country’s already existing downward trend into overdrive. This was according to the Washington Post reported on Thursday. The latest provisional data released by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed the birthrate in 2020 dropped for the sixth consecutive year. The steepest decline occurred in the last part of the year, when the first babies conceived during the U.S. outbreak would have been born. Before the pandemic, American women were already having…
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has directed ChannelsTV and Inspiration FM Lagos to pay a fine N5 million each for infractions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. The Acting Director-General of the commission, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba announced this in a statement made available in Abuja on Thursday. Idachaba explained that NBC on Monday, April 26, served Channels TV a letter indicating the station’s culpability and liability for infractions of the Code in respect to its broadcast of “Politics Today” of Sunday, April 25. The acting D-G stated that the station violated Sections 3.11.1(b) and 5.4.3 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. Similarly,…
The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu has announced that 28 states in Nigeria are likely to experience severe flooding this year. Adamu dropped the hint at the public presentation of the 2021 Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) of the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) in Abuja on Thursday. He listed the states to include Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, FCT, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Kebbi. Others are Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba and Zamfara. The minister noted that the 2012 flood brought about massive destruction of lives…
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has created 1,162 additional polling units in Ebonyi, bring the total polling units in the state to 2, 947. Dr Joseph Chukwu, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, announced this at a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday in Abakaliki. Chukwu explained that the additional polling units were created from the existing voting points. He further explained that the creation of the new units was the outcome of the polling units’ expansion done recently across the country ahead of the 2023 general election. Chukwu said the initiative was aimed at providing more access to eligible…
President Muhammadu Buhari has enjoined Nigerians to fully participate in the ongoing synchronisation of National Identification Number (NIN) with SIM cards across the country. The president made the call when he inaugurated the National Policy for the Promotion of Indigenous Content in Nigerian Telecoms Sector and Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Cards registration in Abuja on Thursday. According to the president, the synchronisation exercise will provide a digital framework for improving security and strengthening of the economy. He maintained that proper identification of all Nigerians and legal residents in the country and ability to conveniently access a data base…
The Emergency Committee of Confederation of African Football (CAF), in consultation with world governing body FIFA, has postponed the CAF qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup slated for Qatar. The first set of matches in the qualification competition were due to be played in June. But the postponement came after taking into consideration the current challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, CAF said in a statement on Thursday. It added that the need to ensure the optimal playing conditions for all participating teams were available for all teams necessitated the development. The qualifiers will now take place in the…
No fewer than 21 African countries are expected to raise $65.5 million from public and private sources to support Shea Parkland Restoration Fund (PRF), an official said. The Vice President, Ghana Shea Producers’ Association, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia stated this at the virtual launch of the Parkland Restoration Fund. He spoke at the opening ceremony of the 2021 International Shea Conference and Global Shea Alliance’s 10th Anniversary celebration held in Ghana. Alhaji Abubukar Bagudu-Kalgo, National Publicity Secretary, National Shea Producers’ Association of Nigeria, disclosed this in a statement in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday. Bawumia said the decision was part of ongoing…